Firmness is an important parameter in the quality of fruits and vegetables. As shown in Figure 2, the initial values for this parameter ranged between 4.94 and 6.10 N, similar to those reported by Costa and others (2010). Firmness remained stable for 7 d and differences were only observed by the end of storage. By day 15, firmness of uncoated and pectin-EAC coated strawberries decreased (P < 0.05), however, pectin-EAC treated fruits presented higher firmness values compared to control (3.33 and 1.90 N, respectively). In contrast, pullulan and chitosan-EAC coated strawberries remained stable (P < 0.05) during 15 d. At the end of storage period, the firmness of pullulan and chitosan coated fruits were 4.73 and 5.13 N, respectively, indicating that these coatings helped to maintain firmness of the fruit.